The present invention relates to an improved fire escape, and particularly a normally stored fire escape that can be actuated to its functioning position with simple force application.
For years people have known the need for fire escape techniques and the idea of the fire pole in a fire house has been known to all of us since childhood. The fact that it still exists in modern fire houses establishes and evidences its worth.
We're all familiar with the typical fire escape in apartment houses wherein heavy iron structures are secured to the outside walls of a building to permit people to descent from one level to the other along iron stairs to a first level. Then, at the first level, a balanced stair is mounted to be inaccessible to one who is at the ground level, while permitting a person to descend from the first level to ground level.
It's obvious that the typical fire escape described above is considered a functionally sufficient device since there are so many of them located in the cities of the world.
It must be admitted, however, that these iron fire escapes are both expensive and unattractive, accordingly.
It is the first objective of this invention to provide an improved self-storing fire escape.
It is a further objective of this invention to provide a self-storing fire escape that can be actuated either manually, mechanically, or electrically, from its stored position into a functioning position.
It is a further objective of this invention to provide a self-storing fire escape that is mounted for actuation into a functioning position and which actuation provides the force to move a slide-support chute into position to carry children or the physically handicapped, or elderly people, to ground level.
It is a still further objective of this invention to provide a self-storing fire escape device which when actuated to a functioning position is equipped with ancillary supports for a hoist system, to permit children and incapacitated people to be lowered, breeches-buoy fashion, to ground level.